Bob Hawkings looked across the conference table at each of the faces of the robotists seated there. The table was a large oval, made of dark stained oak. It was cluttered with the notes and coffee cups of the dozen scientists who surrounded it at the moment. It was Bobs turn to present his project to these scientists who made up the board of directors of United Robots, Inc. Bob was a member of the board and one of the founding robotists of the company. Knowing these facts didnt make him any less nervous about his report that morning. He knew what he would propose to them would be a bombshell, so he spent a few moments studying the faces of his colleagues in the dimmed light to see if he could get an idea of how they would take the news. Knowing he could not put off the inevitable, he took a deep breath, clicked on the first slide of his power point presentation and began.

"As you all know, NASA has been toying with the idea of a manned mission to Mars for some time. And as you also know, the public isnt too keen about exposing humans to the dangers of such a mission. The scientists at NASA are frustrated at this point. After the two shuttle disasters, they are laboring to convince the public that a manned Mars mission could be safe and losing that PR battle. Coupled with the failures of some of the probe missions they launched in recent years, they are suffering under a public relations nightmare at the moment. I think they would jump at a solution to their problems. The Pathfinder mission, one of the few real successes in recent Mars missions, has given them a taste of the Mars apple and they are craving more."

As Bob spoke he deftly clicked through slide after slide outlining the missions he spoke about, outlining the successes and failures of each. After about 10 minutes, Fran Driscole, a middle aged, pinch-faced woman, whom few in the company really got along with, spoke up. Bob cringed, knowing she would probably be the one to lead any opposition to his plan. He was in the majority of the scientists at URI who didnt care for Dr. Driscole, but he did realize she had a gift for positronic brain patterns, the basis of the robotic brain. She was invaluable to the company, so he tolerated her, but only barely.

"All of this is interesting to space enthusiasts, I am sure, but what does all of this have to do with our company? We are not space contractors, we build industrial robots," Fran said in her typical condescending tone, like she was explaining a simple math problem to a schoolboy.

Bob cringed and tried to maintain his composure, if for no other reason, than to strengthen his argument for his project. "Make nice with the bitch and you will score points with the others," he thought to himself. Aloud he answered, "Yes, Dr. Driscole, but it is my plan to expand the small contribution this company has made to the robotics used in some of these missions. My idea, if implemented, would solve NASAs biggest problem, make our company billions, and, dare I add, probably put our competition out of business."

A stir arose from the members seated at the table. URIs biggest competitor in the robot business was an upstart company known as Elite Robots. Industrial espionage and personnel wars were the two main tools of ER and URI had been fighting them in the courts over patent battles in the two years ER had been in existence. Any hint of a project that would castrate their biggest competitor and pain in the ass would be something everyone at the table would surely listen to with eager anticipation. That is why, when Fran spoke her first hint of objecting to Bobs plan, he had this bit of dynamite to throw at them. He knew his audience. It was in his best interest to know them.

Bob waited for the murmurs to die down before he proceeded. "In order to understand the full impact of my proposed solution to both NASAs and URIs problems, let me summarize the problem NASA has had with the recent Mars missions." He clicked to the next slide. "One. NASA has had problems with unmanned probes. The probably of failure is about 50% and these probes arent cheap. When the systems on these probes fail, NASA has a hard time communicating with them in order to correct the problems. Lets face it, Mars is a lot further away than the moon, where they have had greater success with unmanned probes. When the systems fail and NASA cannot correct the problem from ground control, the mission and the dollars spent on it are lost. The public isnt too happy losing valuable tax dollars, especially when there is a growing sector that thinks we waste money in space that should go to feeding the poor." Looking at his audience starting to shift nervously in their seats over this highly political statement, one in which their company fought against on a daily basis with their own public relations department, Bob knew hed better move on, or his presentation might get lost in a useless, heated debate about something they were powerless to control anyway.

"But that is not the concern of this board or our company, so let me move on to problem number two." Bob clicked to the next slide. " Two. NASA knows humans are better equipped to handle the complexities of missions to the planets, they would be on hand to make the corrections needed when equipment acts up. Plus, the greatest interest NASA has had over the years in the public forum has been with its manned missions. Most of us in this room remember the excitement of the 60s and 70s when NASA was sending men into space and finally to the moon. I remember being glued to the tube as a kid in the summer of 69 watching as Neil Armstrong set the first human foot on the surface of the moon. I even went out that night in the back yard with my telescope, hoping to catch a glimpse of the astronauts up there. I know, I was naive, they were not on a part of the moon visible from earth, but I was a kid."

Smiles emanated from many of the members as they recalled that time in their lives. Bob took this as a positive sign and continued. "But, as I said before, the public is not in a mood to support manned missions at this time because they are not so sure the safety factor is acceptable. So the problem, as I see it, would be to have NASA send something that would be as good as a human, but not human so as not to risk human life as they started this mission." Bob paused momentarily to let the impact of that statement set in. Mike Thompson was the first to take the bait.

"Bob, what you are describing is a robot, but you know NASA isnt interested in our robots. They say robots arent any better than the unmanned probes they are sending up, just more expensive."

"Yes, and in a way they are right. What NASA needs is a robot who would have all of the same responses as a human and would be able to reason as a human does. This way they could send up a ship of these robots to scout out the planet and even start setting up a shelter for the humans who would follow. These robots would find out the dangers before the humans would get there. There would still be risks to the humans who would follow these robots, but they would be considerably less."

Jim Sutton, the head of the company, cleared his throat. "What you are proposing, Bob, is a human form robot. We have discussed the possibility of building them in the far future, but the technology isnt here yet."

Bob smiled. He knew the next thing he was about to tell them would bring more than murmurs to the room. He savored this moment by revealing his next bit of info slowly. "Well, sir, most people believe that is true. First, let me ask you, what makes a human brain so unique and the best suited to the task of exploration?" Bob indicated to the people in the room that the question was open for anyones answers.

Lenny Green was the first to propose an answer. "Well I would think it is because our brains are always learning and adapting to situations."

"Exactly," said Bob emphatically. "We have started to develop positronic brains that can be programmed with lots of useful information, more than most humans can hold in fact, but that superior information storage doesnt make positronic brains superior to a human brain in a situation where intuition is needed to assess a problem. What would be needed is a positronic brain that could be programmed to "learn". Intuition is a learned behavior in humans, so if a robot could be taught to understand human needs and emotions, it would be more suited to the kind of exploration I have proposed for it."

Fran frowned. "Are you telling me that we need to invent an emotional robot in order for it to be able to handle this job?" She said it with much spite in her voice. Bob tried hard not to laugh. He knew Fran had been characterized as a human who acted more like the emotionless robots she helped to create. He tried to explain without offending her.

"No, Dr. Driscole. Our robots wouldnt experience emotion, but they would be able to sense emotion in humans and from that, ascertain the needs of the humans they are working with. All of this would lead to the intuition needed in their brains to make the decisions necessary to aid in human exploration of Mars and maybe beyond. And a intuitive brain isnt the only requirement. This robot would need to be as close to a human in form so as to experience the environment as a human would, so that the solutions it would come up with would be ones best for human habitation of Mars and other worlds. In other words, as Dr. Sutton put it, a completely human form robot."

Jim coughed again. "Well, young man, that is all well and good, but as I stated before, the technology isnt here yet for such a robot. I am not sure if it would ever be developed, given our own PR problems with the general public. We cant even sell them on the idea of a robot who looks like a robot to help them with simple chores. Oh, most people have accepted them in the workforce, but that was after considerable fuss with the Unions and only after we assigned them the most dangerous or menial of tasks. I dont think humans are ready for a robot that looks and acts like them. People would be too suspicious of them, especially in the area of human safety."

Bob paused, more to give the president of the company time to think that Bob was pondering his concerns. He knew the answer to them all, but wondered which to tackle first.

"Sir, the newer positronic brains have been programmed with the late Dr. Asimovs three Laws of Robotics. For the record, I will state them here. 1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm, 2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law, and 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. With such safeguards in robot programming, the safety issue isnt a factor. As for humans accepting human form robots, I suspect that they might be more willing to accept them than their metallic counterparts. I have a proposal for such an experiment. But you are correct in stating that all of this is moot if the technology isnt there to create such human form robots. But this comes to the heart of my presentation. He turned up the dimmed lights he had lowered for his power point presentation and switched the projector off.

"If you would give me a minute to get the next part of my presentation. It is waiting out in the hall." Bob left the room as the buzz of conversation rose with the questions that he knew were on the minds of his colleagues. He couldnt suppress a chuckle as he closed the door behind him. Out in the hall, he approached a man who stood silently awaiting orders. "Its time, my friend, to introduce you to the world."

"Yes, Dr. Hawkings. I am ready."

Bob took the human form robot by the arm and led him into the board room. A hush came over the board members as Bob led his creation into the room. He amusingly thought to himself how Dr. Frankenstein must have felt when he revealed his creation to the world. He briefly thought that, he too, was mistakenly playing God, but then he remembered that he never claimed that his creation was human, only like a human. He led his robot to the front of the room beside the podium and said, "My esteemed colleagues, I wish to present to you, human form robot- HFR 1." Many voices tried to talk at once, but Jims was the loudest and carried the most authority, given his position as president of the company. "BOB! What in Gods name have you done?" Most of the board members joined Jims query with nodded heads.

"Sir, and esteemed colleagues," Bob felt he had to continue to appease them with this title. He knew he had broken the first law of the company by developing his robot without consulting the team. But with all the industrial thievery that had been going on of late, he knew he had to keep this one under wraps till he had it perfected. It took two years of his life, but it would be worth it if the company would back his project. He continued, "I know that I should have been more forthcoming in consulting you on this project sooner than I have. I am sure you all have judged by what you see here that I have been working on HFR 1 for a long time. Two years, in fact." More murmurs and tones of discontent rose from the table. Bob forged on. "But let me assure you, it isnt because I didnt want or need your help, in truth, I have actually used some of the ideas you have shared with me on HFR 1. He is truly a company team effort even though I was the only one who actually worked on him in the flesh. Dr. Green, your work with artificial skin was instrumental in making HFR 1 look like a real human. Dr. Thompson, your insights on biology and anatomy helped design HFR 1s anatomy. He is anatomically correct down to every detail. In a crowd, he would be mistaken for a real human. The rest of you had your contributions as well. And Dr. Driscole," Bob turned and looked Fran directly in the eyes. He had saved the best and hardest for last. "All of this would have been a waste of money and time if it wasnt for your positronic brain pathways." Bob saw her soften just a little, knowing that pride is a powerful thing. He knew that ego stroking was the only way to redeem himself in the eyes of his fellow scientists. "So I can stand here and say that even though I might have put it all together, you each have a share in the end product."

Steel bands couldnt have kept the members of the board in their seats once Bob had let them know they were a part of the plan. All rose as one body and surrounded Bob Hawkings and his creation. Each probed the robot and asked Bob a thousand questions all at once. After letting them have their fun, Bob raised his hand and asked if they would please resume their seats. The scientists reluctantly did so.

"I know you all have a million questions, and I will answer them all in the coming weeks and months. HFR 1 is remarkable in and of itself, but he is only a beginning. As I said, we need more like him, but he is not complete. That is why I need your permission," Bob mostly focused his attention on Jim, as the ultimate authority for the company. The board had a vote, but Jims, as president, carried the weight of the group. He continued, "to have HFR 1 complete his training. As Dr. Green stated before, the best thing about a human brain is its capacity to learn and adapt. HFR 1 has been programmed with the latest and best information available today, but I have added a special feature to his positronic brain. I have given HFR 1 the capacity to learn. The robot must learn what it is like to think like a human in order to apply that to adaptive situations. I, therefore, want to send my robot, OUR robot, to school."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Theresa Powell. She was the newest board member and the youngest on the team. Her work in brain capacities rivaled her colleague, Dr. Driscole, but she was astute enough not to ruffle the feathers of the older woman by letting it be known. Others in the room nodded their puzzled heads.

"I dont propose to send the robot to a formal school, such as we send our children. Goodness knows, HFR 1 knows more than any college professor could teach him. No, what I mean by school is, he will need to be in the care of a human being in order for him to learn human responses to everyday life."

"Well why dont you teach him, Dr. Hawkings?" asked Fran in a sneer.

Bob maintained his composure. Nothing that woman had to say would turn the rest against him at that moment, and he knew it. He had bested her with her own science and he prickled with a little pride of his own knowing that she knew it. "I thought about this a long time. We in the robotics community are so logically minded, that I am not sure we would be good teachers for this kind of assignment. What we need is either an ordinary, unsuspecting human who would not be prejudiced in teaching the robot everything he would need to know to make good intuitive decisions, but I am afraid that would require a long exposure. The only other alternative, which might be faster, would be to have him in the care of a person schooled in the science of human psychology. Such a person would be able to help the robot learn what makes humans tick, and in a shorter time frame.

Being that HFR 1 is technically a product of our company, my only claim to him is that I manufactured him, I would need your permission to place him with a suitable person for his final programming. I am well aware of the chances I would be taking, we would be taking, if I placed him with just anyone. The risks of industrial espionage by our competitor has been foremost on my mind the whole two years I have worked on this project."

Jim looked impatiently at his employee. "Well then, Dr. Hawkings, what do you propose?"

"I would like permission to place HFR 1 in the care of my wife, Maria. As you know, she has a Ph.D. in human psychology. She is a practicing psychologist and a member of the board of the APA. I think she would be ideal for the job. Plus she has the added benefit of being indirectly associated with our company through me. She would be a low security risk."

"But Bob," said Mike, with great informality. Of all the scientists on the board, Bob was the most friendly with Mike. "You and I both know how much your wife HATES robots!" The rest of the board members let out a little chuckle. Marias views on her husbands work were well know at URI.

Bob joined the good natured laugh. "I know, and for some strange reason, that makes her all the more qualified to handle this job. One of the things I hope to accomplish is not only getting a human form robot to think and even act more like a human, but to get humans to accept them. If my wife can learn to accept HFR 1, then anyone will!" He laughed again.

Theresa, sensing the levity of the moment, decided to ask a question that was troubling her. She had been studying the robots face through out the proceedings and something about its look bothered her. "Bob, can I ask a personal question?"

"Sure, my life is an open book, you know that about me."

"Yeah, except when he is making secret robots," chided Lenny. Some in the room laughed.

"Well, except for that." Bob added. Turning back to Theresa he said, "What is your question?"

"Its face, it isnt symmetric.... and why did you chose to give your robot Hispanic features?"

Bob blushed a little. "Well I had hoped you would approve my wife as instructor for my friend here. As Mike put it, Maria isnt too keen on robots, and I thought if I gave him features she would be more willing to live with, she might accept him faster." He saw puzzlement settle over the room. "Let me explain. In order for humans to accept robots as one of their own, so to speak, they really have to look like real humans. I dont know too many humans that have perfectly symmetrical features, do you?" Everyone shook their head. "I also had to make him resemble some race. Since I had my wife in mind, I chose Hispanic, since my wife is part Puerto Rican herself. I thought that she might be more open to this whole idea if the robot looked like someone she knew. As a matter of fact, he is patterned after someone she did know briefly thirty years ago. He was a young actor who took his life. I know that my wife admired this person, and since he was dead, I didnt see the harm in using his features. I even spent hours programming his brain so his speech and mannerisms would resemble this human pattern. I used examples from his life work to have HFR 1 act and sound like the human he was made to resemble. This is my first experiment with human form robots, so I guess I took some liberties."

Victor Ramirez, the only Hispanic scientist on the team, smiled. "I thought your robot looked familiar. You made him to resemble the late Freddie Prinze, didnt you?"

"You remember him?" asked Bob. He was under the impression that his wife was the only one who remembered the dead comic. Her and her little band of friends on the Internet. Maria was technophobic, but when Bob had opened up the world of the Internet to her, and she realized she could use the computer to meet new people who shared common interests with her, she finally warmed up to having one in the house. But this was as far as Bob was able to go with his wife and technology. It bristled him to know he was probably the only robotist on the planet who didnt have personal robots in his home. All because of his wifes phobias. But he hoped that would soon change. He sometimes wondered if he didnt created Freddie more to solve his domestic problems than for a solution to NASAs problems.

Jim cleared his throat and said. "Dr. Hawkings, what you have proposed has much merit. The applications are enormous and the profit to this company would be as well. You have created a fine human form robot. I think your request to have your wife teach and test this model is reasonable. When do you propose to start the next phase of your experiment?"

Bob tried not to appear to be too eager. "As soon as the board takes the required vote. I am prepared to take Freddie home to my wife tonight, if the board gives me the green light."

"Very well, is there any further discussion on the matter?" Jim looked around as Fran raised her hand. "Dr. Driscole?"

"Just one question. Dr. Hawkings, how long have you been testing HFR 1 yourself to ascertain that the robot is perfectly harmless around humans?"

Bob knew this was a reasonable question. "I have had Freddie with me in my lab a total of six months, while I was programming him to act and sound like the real Freddie Prinze. I have also trained him some in responding to human needs, as being with any human, he would learn some of these responses in the natural course of human events. I am afraid, though, that I am not up to the task of being objective with him, and I want him to get the full treatment, so to speak, when it comes to human nature. But in the six months since his positronic brain was activated, he has responded to me in a safe and reasonable manner."

"Do you propose to be around your wife when she is conducting the next part of the experiment and training?" Mike asked.

"Actually, I had thought long and hard about that. I am not sure how long it might take, only that it should be shorter with someone trained in human psychology. I really think it would be better if my wife didnt have me around to interfere with this in anyway. I would check in from time to time, of course. Safety would dictate this. Plus, Freddie is equipped with a recording device, so he will be able to file a complete report with me when the training is complete. Freddie, by the way, is not designed to ever go into space. I will have to make some adjustments to the human form robot, as NASA would specify when we are ready to reveal Freddie to them. In fact, if all goes as I plan, my wife will only have to teach Freddie and he would, in turn, instruct his fellow HFRs with much more efficiency, saving time in the training process. The pupil in human nature would then become the teacher. That would be his function, ultimately."

Mike inquired further, "Do you think your wife will agree to be separated from you for as long as she will need to train HFR 1?"

Bob smiled and blushed. "As you all know, my wife and I have led a unique existence. We were never able to have children, and her work and mine have kept us separated for as much as months on end. We miss each other very much during these times to be sure, but our marriage was built on a love that transcended the fact that she didnt want to know about my work and I never had an interest in hers. We have always had a unspoken pact that allowed us to be passionate about our work without imposing it on each other. I think the hardest hurdle will be to convince her that training Freddie would be actually something she would enjoy as a student of human psychology. In that alone, I ask your support, and if you are a praying person, your prayers. I am sure she would be used to me not being around for a while. I have more work to do here at URI and I am going to need all of your help preparing for the next phase of the project, the construction of more HFRs. I will use this as a legitimate excuse to leave Freddie in her exclusive care."

"Well, it sounds like you have thought all of this out in a very complete manner, Dr. Hawkings." Jim turned to the board members. "I know that Dr. Hawkings vote is a yes, so I am going to ask him to step outside with his robot so we can take the rest of the votes. I hope you dont mind this unusual measure, my boy, but I want everyone in here to feel like they can vote without prejudice."

"That would be acceptable to me, Dr. Sutton. I kind of anticipated that you might want to do that. Thank you for counting my yes vote in the tally." Turning to the rest of the board, he said, "Thank you for your time and patience with me. I know I should have consulted you more, but now that you have seen what I have done, I will need your help even more. This could be a giant leap forward in robotics and for this company." Bob took Freddie by the arm and said, "Come Freddie, my friend."

"Yes, Dr. Hawkings," answered Freddie and the robotist and the robot left the room.

Out in the hall, Freddie turned to Bob and said, "I am sorry I did not get to speak on my own behalf."

"I know, Freddie, but I didnt think it might be a good time to do that, even though I know you had prepared a speech. We might be out here a while and I need to sit down." Bob led Freddie down the hall to his office on the same floor as the board room. He knew they would know where to find him when they were finished with the vote. He sat down, exhausted, in his comfortable high-backed leather chair. It had been a gift from Maria, when he got the office. She had told him every scientist needed a comfortable chair to collapse in when the work of the day got to him. He was the envy of the team, because his was the most comfortable chair to be had in the company, with the exception of Dr. Suttons. He quietly thanked Maria for being so considerate.

Freddie sat down in the only other chair in the office, a beat up relic from when the company building had been part of the government Office of Robotics. The Institute, as it was called by the people who worked there, had been the first of its kind, when Robotics was a young and often misunderstood science. Bob worked for the Institute in its latter days as a government agency. It was Bob and some of the other scientists at the Institute that bought the agency from the government when they wanted out of Robotics and put it in the private sector. Actually, it had been mostly Jim Suttons money, but each of the founding board members had contributed a share. The offices and board room were housed in the old government building, but URI had built modern labs and assembly lines on the remaining property bought when they acquired the Institute. Sometimes, in a moment of forgetfulness, people would refer to URI as the Institute. It didnt bother Bob that they did. It just reminded him that his company was the oldest and most experienced in the business, a fact that URIs competition would like to forget.

Freddie broke the silence that had descended on the office. "Friend Bob, do you think that they will agree to your proposal?"

Bob had taught Freddie to call him by this more personal title when they were alone. Freddie always referred to Bob by his official title when others were around, which wasnt too often until today. Bob welcomed the friendliness of the personal title. "I dont know, Freddie, I am just not sure. I know they are intrigued by you, but I knew I was taking a big risk keeping you a secret for the past two years. Some of the scientists, especially Dr. Driscole, might take that as a personal insult."

"Humans allow their pride to affect their judgment, then?"

Bob smirked. "Unfortunately, they do. Some people say it would be a better world if people didnt allow personal pride to get in the way of their reasoning, but then we wouldnt be humans, I suppose."

"Will Friend Maria be able to explain this further to me?"

"Better than I could, I am sure. She knows humans better than I do. She will, if the board gives her the chance."

"Then I will hope that the board sees past their pride and votes to have me continue my education according to your plan." Freddie smiled. It was one of the hardest things Bob had attempted to program into Freddies positronic brain. Most robots remained expressionless, since they didnt experience the emotions that usually accompanied human facial expression. It had been Dr. Powells work with equating emotional responses to logical robotic equations that helped him make a break through. It was an area of the positronic brain pathways that Dr. Driscole would have never dreamed of experimenting with. Bob smiled. Theresa exuded more human warmth than Fran ever had, which probably had led to Theresa specializing in positronics and human emotions. All Bob had to do was instruct Freddie to study the face of the human he was with to get his cues as to which expression might be appropriate. He also taught Freddie that, even though a positronic brain couldnt feel pleasure, or any human emotion for that matter, when the robots brain was functioning at peak efficiency and his task was easy, this could be equated to the pleasure humans feel. Knowing that pleasure led to the expression of a smile, and studying the tapes of the show that the real Freddie Prinze had acted in, HFR Freddie was able to duplicate the smile that had won the actor the fame he had experienced in his lifetime. Bob had been able to program Freddie to respond to other basic human emotions in that way as well, finding positronic equivalents to human emotions. He didnt do too many though, instead giving Freddies brain the capacity to learn more as he experienced what it was like to live with a human. He thought with humor, what Maria might think of this whole experiment with human emotions and robots learning to respond appropriately to them. She would probably remind him that most humans didnt know how to respond properly. But he knew that Freddie would have to learn about the inconsistencies of human emotions as well as the ones that made sense. And who better, than his wife, to teach him. Bob loved Maria for the past 20 years of their marriage, but he was truthful enough with himself to admit that he really knew very little about what made her tick emotionally. It would be interesting to see if Freddie could figure Maria out better than Bob ever could.

Bob was glad that Freddie didnt require conversation. He was emotionally exhausted from the presentation and relished the quiet of his office. He put his head back and closed his eyes to catch a little rest before he found out the fate of is project. He knew Freddie would be sitting in the other chair, waiting with the patience of a robot, to know his fate as well.

Bob must have fallen asleep in his chair, for when Freddie woke him, it was dark out. "Friend Bob, your telephone is making a ringing noise. I am to presume it is a signal for you to respond to."

Bob pulled himself out of his slumbering state and thanked Freddie. He answered the phone. "Dr. Hawkings office."

"Bob, its Mike. Dr. Sutton asked me to call you to let you know that the board voted to have you continue your project and approved your wife as Freddies teacher."

Bob sighed and gave a thumbs up to Freddie. Freddie, in his robot way, looked at Bob with what Freddie equated as a puzzled look. Bob smiled and said, "Thats wonderful news. Was the vote close?"

"Well I am not suppose to divulge the nature of the vote to you, but lets just say it was an overwhelming majority, but not unanimous."

Bob answered, "I gotcha, and I am sure I can guess who was the descending vote, but it doesnt matter. I am glad I convinced the rest of you all. By the way, I have to apologize to you, my friend. I asked a lot of you by asking you not to reveal that you knew about Freddie. I had one of two choices, keeping you in the dark with the others, or letting you in on it, but swearing you to secrecy. I think I did the best thing choosing the latter. You did a great job covering your knowledge."

"Well I understood your need for secrecy. And I am glad you thought enough of me to confide in me. I was also honored to work on Freddie with you these past two years. Good luck winning Maria over to the project. I think she will be harder than the board to convince."

"True. But if you and I did our job right in making Freddie as much like the real deal as we had hoped, it might make it easier for Freddie to charm Maria into agreeing."

"I sure hope so, for your sake. I know I was asking my questions in the board room to throw the rest of them off the scent that I was in on the secret, but I was genuinely interested with my question about how Maria would take all of this."

Bob sighed, "I know you were. I am sure it will be fine. I will call you later and let you know how it went."

"Thanks, and good luck!"

"Ill need it! Bye." And Bob hung up the phone.

Freddie looked intently at Bob, not waiting for him to reveal the nature of the phone call. "Am I to conclude by the smile on your face, Friend Bob, that the vote was favorable and I will be able to continue my education and you will be able to continue the project?"

"Yes, Freddie and you are learning more and more about reading human expressions and equating reasons for them. I know you will be a success."

"If I am a success, it is due to the excellent programming of my creators. Was that Friend Mike on the phone?"

Bob grabbed his jacket and turned off the light as he led Freddie out of his office and to his car. "Yes, Dr. Sutton wanted Mike to be the one to tell me."

"Did the others see through the falsehood?"

Bob had told Freddie that sometimes it was to humans advantage not to reveal the truth all the time. Lies were against moral laws, but sometimes telling falsehoods had advantages, so as to prevent harm from coming to humans. Freddie was able to see that this could be a First Law application for robots and accepted Bobs explanation as to why they needed to lie to the board about Mikes involvement in the project. Bob had told both Freddie and Mike it was necessary to protect Mikes position on the board. Bob was taking a big risk with his project, but he didnt want Mike to suffer if the project blew up in Bobs face.

"No, Freddie, we were successful there too. Lets hope my wife will be willing to do her part."

"I will try my best to win her over, Friend Bob. I am sure I can get her to see that I should not be feared, but helped."

"Freddie, I am beginning to think if anyone can, you can."

                       Two

Few lights were on in the Hawkings house when Bob pulled his car up the long driveway. He pushed the button on the automatic garage door opener and drove his Jeep Cherokee into the bay that was reserved for his car. He could see his wifes silver Lexus parked in her bay, so he knew she was home. He surmised that she had eaten out after her last appointment of the day, as was her custom, and was probably in the library catching up on her latest mystery novel, or maybe online with her friends in the computer room. Bob kept such strange hours that, unless he arranged with her before hand that he was coming home at a particular time, they rarely ate meals together. This was another concession to their unique marital arrangements. Maria preferred to eat out, since cooking wasnt a talent she felt she had, and Bob, who liked to cook, would make himself something when he got home.

The house was large, mainly because they had hoped to fill it with children one day, but when Maria discovered a congenital deformity in her uterus that made it impossible to have children, the couple were left with the large house all to themselves. There had been talk of adopting when they discovered they couldnt have children of their own, but after a while both had decided maybe fate had dealt them the right hand, since not being tied down to a family meant they could pursue their own interests in a fuller manner. Bob remembered how Marias family, especially her mother who was a Puerto Rican Catholic, reacted to the news that Maria would be unable to give them grandchildren. They were devastated. This sent Maria into a depression for a while, but eventually, when she decided to use the energy she would have spent on childbearing to go back and get her masters and then her Ph. D in human psychology, she forgot all about losing the potential of being a mother. She once said to Bob that working with people who needed her help in sorting out their own problems allowed her to exercise the mother instinct in her.

Bob knew Maria wasnt the kind of person who was afraid of the dark, and she was also energy conscious, so not seeing many lights was another indication that she was home doing something to unwind from a busy day. If she had been out, the security lighting would have been burning brightly. Bob got out of the car and escorted Freddie to the back deck. He asked the robot to sit on one of the lawn chairs by the pool and wait till he had time to break the news to his wife about her role in the project. Freddie obeyed and sat in the dark. He asked Bob if he could go on standby while he waited. Freddie had a built in function that allowed him to shut down all non-essential functions when he was not in use. Bob told him that this would be a good idea and then entered the house through the French doors into the den.

"Maria?" Bob called out. Because the house was designed with 4 bedrooms, one was outfitted as a computer room and one as a library. The third was a spare bedroom and the forth was attached to the master suite. The house also had a formal dining room, an eat-in kitchen, a den and a formal living room. Bob didnt know exactly where he would find his wife, and was too tired to search around. She called out in return, "Im in the library, Robert."

As Bob made his way back to the library, he smiled. Everyone he knew had always called him Bob, or at work, by his title. Maria was the only one who called him by his full given name. She had once told him that she really didnt think Bob was a very becoming nickname so she insisted on using Robert. She said it was a more dignified name and better suited for him. Many couples would have had more unsophisticated pet names for each other, but, again owing to the uniqueness of their relationship, Bob looked upon Marias insistence on using his given name as a pet name for him. Knowing what he need to ask her to do, it put him in a mood to be very loving to her. God only knew he would need all the charm his normally logical mind could muster.

Bob went up to his wife, who was sitting in her favorite overstuffed chair reading, and reached down and kissed her full on the lips. Normally a peck on the cheek or head was his usual greeting, but tonight called for all the stops to be pulled out in the charm department. The difference wasnt lost on Maria who put her book down and her arms around her husbands neck, returning the passion Bobs kiss initiated. "Mmmm, whats the occasion?"

Bob decided to act cool. This would require a lot of prep work on his part, and he didnt want to rush it. Like the presentation today, he knew he would have to gradually sell this idea to Maria, but unlike the board of directors at URI, his wife would be a harder sell. He almost wished he had reserved some of the energy he had put into the earlier presentation. He needed all the energy and wit he could muster.

"Nothing, just that I miss my pretty wife. I have been working pretty late and I sometimes feel I neglect you too much."

Maria stood up and embraced her husband and kissed him again. "I miss you too, Robert. But you know I understand why you work so late. We both have important work to do. I gave up minding you not being home years ago." She kissed him again and he returned it with more passion. "Mmmm but it is nice to be reminded that you love me in such a wonderful way!"

"Well I am glad you dont object to your loving husband showing you some badly needed affection from time to time! I know my work is important, but I do miss you when I work late. I dont know if I ever told you that."

Maria thought a minute. "Not too often. It is good to hear it tho." She smiled. "Did you get some dinner?"

"No, I didnt have a chance. I was going to go out and fix myself something after I said hi to you."

Maria slid her arm into the crux of Bobs and led him out of the library and down the hall to the kitchen. "Let me fix you something tonight, you look kinda tired."

As they entered the kitchen, Bob sat down at the table, winked at her, and said, "Well I guess I should come home and kiss you like that more often." He managed a smile and added, "I am kinda tired, and not too hungry, so soup would be find for tonight."

"Coming right up," answered Maria. She took a can of soup down from the cupboard and opened it with the electric can opener. After dumping it into a saucepan and putting the pot on the stove to heat, she took down a bowl and spoon and set it on the table in front of Bob. "What do you want to drink?"

"A beer would be fine and dont bother with a glass. Ill drink it from the bottle tonight."

Maria got a bottle of beer from the refrigerator and opened it and set it down in front of Bob. Bob took a tug on the beer and Maria said, "You must of had a busy day at the office today to be so tired tonight."

"It was a big day," answered Bob. "Big presentation in front of the board today. Those always wear me out. But I know the rules, I wont bore you with the details."

Maria smiled and went over to the stove to give the soup a stir. "Thats ok. I guess I have been a little too strict with the dont bring your work home with you rule. If you feel like talking about it, I am all ears. I cant promise I will understand it or even be that interested, but I will listen if you need to talk."

"Thanks, hon. Maybe it will help me to unwind to talk a little about it. I promise you tho, if it gets to boring, tell me and Ill quit."

Maria brought the steaming pot over to the table and poured some of the soup into Bobs bowl. She then put the pot back on the stove and turned off the burner. Reaching back into the cupboard, she brought out a box of crackers and placed them on the table. Going back to the refrigerator, she got herself a can of diet soda and sat back down to join Bob at the table. Bob took a few sips of his soup before he began his narrative.

"Well Mike and I, you remember Mike Thompson?" Maria nodded as she sipped her soda. "Well he and I have been working on this top secret project for the past two years. Top secret to everyone but the two of us, which isnt exactly playing by the rules down at the Institute, but we had our reasons for keeping this one under such tight wraps." Bob often referred to URI as the Institute when he wasnt at work. Old habit he supposed. "Well today was the day to present our project to the company board of directors. It was a big presentation."

"I would guess it was, considering you had worked on it for two years. How did the board receive it?"

"Well Mike and I decided not to let the rest of the board know that he was in on the project, in case there was some fallout about it being kept from everyone for two years. Some on the board, including Dr. Sutton, feel very strongly about working together as a team. I am an original board member, so I knew the sanctions against me might be minimal, but Mike is newer and has a family to consider. Besides, it was my idea really, he just helped me with it."

"I see," said Maria. She tried not to cringe when Bob mentioned the word family. Even after all these years, she still felt a twinge of regret over their decision not to adopt. She knew it was the right one, but the maternal instincts could not be suppressed entirely. She never wanted to let on to her husband that she still felt the loss, though. She didnt want to burden him with these silly feelings of hers.

Bob crushed some crackers in his soup and continued. "The board did like my project and voted to have me continue it. I was very relieved."

"I bet you were. I am sure it is a great project. You are a very brilliant robot scientist," Maria beamed with pride. Even though she would never understand this fascination with robots, she knew her husband was doing important work for the good of mankind and she was proud of him all the same.

"Well the project isnt finished yet." Bob paused to take another spoonful of the soup. He allowed it to slowly enter his mouth and took his time before he swallowed it. He was trying to build up the nerve to continue. "Phase one is complete, and I needed the boards approval for phase two."

"Which you got?", asked Maria.

Bob nodded and took another lingering spoonful. Then he took a long tug on the beer and said, "The thing of it is, I need your help for the next phase." Bob saw Maria stiffen up in her seat and hastily added, "I know we promised each other not to involve the other in our work, but this is different."

"How is this different," asked Maria, trying not to overreact to this breach of long standing understanding in their relationship.

"We need an expert in human psychology to continue. Maybe it would help if I tried to explain the project."

"Well, I am not sure I understand why you would need a human psychologist for work with robots, but go on, I am intrigued."

Bob took another swallow of his beer and thought that this was a good sign, her being intrigued. Dont blow this now, old man, he thought to himself. "Well I know you are familiar with the work that is done at NASA."

"Yes, in fact I was asked in as a consultant a few years back when they were doing studies on the long term psychological effects of long stays in space on the astronauts." Maria thought that two could play at this game. If Bob was breaking the rules by talking about his work, then she could add a little of her own to the conversation.

"I remember when you went to Washington for a few months back then. I didnt know you were working for NASA though." Hummm, Bob thought, what else had she been keeping from him.... but then in all honesty he had not shared with her every trip he took either. Part of that damn bargain again. Maybe when this was over, they could think about renegotiating that... Bob shook his side thoughts from his mind and continued. "Well you know then that NASA is having a hard time selling the general public on the notion of having a manned mission to Mars."

"Yes, that was one of the things our study was supposed to determine. We used long space shuttle missions as a test case, but the findings were inconclusive."

"I dont know if you knew this, but NASA has also been having problems with the unmanned probes it is sending up. They are currently experiencing a 50% failure rate. When the system in one of these probes acts up, they cant seem to get the probe to respond to corrections in their programming. It means a loss of time and money to NASA and the taxpayers are getting a bit testy about their money being wasted like that."

"I can understand that," Maria said.

"Well there was one successful mission a few years back, the Pathfinder, and this gave the people at NASA the itch to start to plan a mission that would ultimately send humans to Mars to explore it, so they wouldnt have to rely on machines."

"All of this is interesting, but where do you, and more to the point, I, come into all of this?"

Bob paused and smiled, taking his wifes hand. "Well I had a brainstorm two years ago about the possibility of sending robots to Mars instead of humans."

"That sounds logical. What did NASA think of the idea?"

"NASA doesnt see that a robot would be any different than one of their probes, just more expensive." Bob remembered the day his idea got shot down in front of the NASA board and frowned. "So I got another idea. What if a robot was made so that it could think and reason as a human being does? Then it could make decisions independent of mission control if placed in a situation that called for intuitive reasoning. It still wouldnt be human lives we would be risking, but the robots would be the next best thing. We would also make them as close to humans physically as well, so that they would react to environmental concerns as humans would. They could also be trained to set up shelters for the humans who would come after them. It wouldnt take away all the risk factors of a manned mission, but it would reduce many of them when humans finally do have the opportunity to explore and colonize Mars."

Maria thought about this a while. Bob let her have the time she needed to let this much of the plan sink in. If she could be made to see the need for such a robot, maybe she would see the need for her part in the project. He finished eating his soup while she sipped on her soda and pondered. Finally, after several minutes, she said, "What you are proposing makes sense. The general public might be willing to support such a plan. But, forgive me if I am wrong, arent robots that act and look like humans in the realm of science fiction?"

"Most people think so, but what if I were to tell you that for the past two years, Mike and I, with the unknowing help of our colleagues, have succeeded to create such a human form robot."

"Well I wouldnt know what to say, except that you do have a tendency of accomplishing what you set out to do. I am happy that you have solved NASAs problem and will probably make a lot of money for your company, as well as the prestige it will bring you." Maria stood up and went over to Bob and put her arms around his shoulders and neck. "I have always been proud of you, sweetheart. You are the smartest man I know and I love you for it." She kissed him sweetly on the lips. Bob returned her affection, but wondered if she would feel the same about him when he finally finished his narrative. When they had disengaged themselves from this display of affection, Maria said, "This has been a big day for you, but I am still puzzled. You did mention that this was only phase one. And you mentioned that you needed me for phase two."

"Lets go into the den and get more comfortable and I will explain the rest to you." Bob got up and took his dishes to the sink and put the cracker box back in the cupboard. Maria put the rest of the soup in a plastic container and put it in the refrigerator. Placing the pot in the sink with the bowl and spoon, she followed Bob to the den and sat on the couch next to him.

"Maria, being an expert on humans and how they think, what, in your expert opinion, makes a human brain unique?"

Maria thought about that a moment and then answered, "I guess the ability to learn and adapt. I mean, animals will learn some and do adapt to their environment, but humans do this better than any other species. Maybe it is the ability to look outside themselves and assess their world on the larger scale and adapt to that. Human psychologists think intuition in humans is far superior to plain instinct in animals because humans have the ability to feel. Emotions are unique to human beings. Is this what you were getting at?"

Bob smiled, "Exactly. See, I told the board that you were the perfect person for this job. You understand human beings better than anyone I know."

"Flattery will get you everywhere with the right person, but I am still not sure where you are going with this. Better try a different approach." Maria grinned to let her husband know that she was still interested in his problem, but that he better come up with a better reason for wanting her help.

Bob continued. "One of the problems we faced in making a robot that would reason like a human being is finding out how to make its positronic brain more like a human brain. Humans are almost exclusively the only species that has to learn all of its behaviors. As far as facts are concerned, it is easy to program a robots positronic brain with all the knowledge of every encyclopedia ever written. But fact arent enough. Intuitive reasoning is based on more than facts, they are based on human instincts, which have a foundation in our emotional makeup."

Maria was getting a bit excited with this intellectual discussion. Maybe she had been wrong to insulate herself from her husbands work all these years. Maybe the science of robots wasnt as cold and unfeeling as she was led to believe. "Yes, and I can see what you are facing by trying to construct a different kind of robot."

Bob took the smile on Marias face and the enthusiasm in her voice as a positive sign and it breathed new life into his tired brain. "We came to the conclusion that we could program some basic responses to human emotions into a positronic brain, but that ultimately the brain would have to learn human emotional responses just like other humans do in order to be taught efficiently."

Maria looked puzzled for a moment. "Are you telling me you can make a robot that can feel human emotions?"

Bob shook his head. "No, robots can never be made to feel like humans feel, but I think they can be made to respond to human emotions in appropriate ways and then be able to sense what humans need to survive in a hostile environment. This would give them the ability to think intuitively, independent of any human master, for lack of a better word. I believe such a robot could be made to be seen as an equal to humans and partners in exploration, taking the risks that humans shouldnt have to, but being given the chance to contribute to the decision making processes needed for a colonies survival. Humans would still be the superior, but robots would take their place beside them, not as master and slave, which they are now, but as partners."

"And you have developed such a robot to be trained in the art of intuitive reasoning and interpretation of human emotions?"

Bob nodded. "And that is where you come in, my dear. As a robotist, I can only program a positronic brain with information. But as a human psychologist, you could teach him how to sense human emotions and how to best respond to them, thus giving him the tools to think intuitively, and ultimately, independently. I was able to sell the board on having you do the job because we have a security factor to consider. A robot capable of doing what we hope this one will do would be highly valuable and subject to industrial espionage. Since you are the wife of a respected employee and the creator of the robot, you would be the best security risk the company could find. Would you consider taking on this challenge."

Maria laughed. "You are asking me to teach a robot how to be a human?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

Maria thought some more. "Well I spent my whole life trying to get humans to respond correctly to other humans emotions, I guess it would be a change to see if I could get a robot to do what many humans find hard to do!" She laughed again.

Bob was glad Maria was taking this so lightheartedly. "I am glad you are willing to help out. Let me bring your subject in so you can meet him."

Maria stood and froze in panic, "YOU BROUGHT IT HOME WITH YOU?!?!?!", she shouted. "Oh My GOD, Robert, what were you thinking? You know I wont have a robot in my house!"

Bob stood up. All his preparation work was going down the toilet fast. He went over to Maria and put his arm around her. "I thought you wanted to work with me on this?"

Maria brushed his arm aside. "Sure, but I thought I was going to be down at the Institute, working with the other scientists?"

Bob tried to sit her down but she stubbornly refused. "No, sweetheart, in order for him to adjust and learn to respond like a human, he must be in a normal, human setting. The lab is no place for that. Dont you see, you will have to interact with him in your normal, everyday, HUMAN settings."

Maria took a big breath and got her nerves under control. "I guess I can see your point. A sterile lab is no place for a psychiatrists couch, and it wouldnt be a good place to study human nature either. I just wish you would have asked me first before you brought IT home. By the way, where do you have IT stashed?"

"HE is outside on the patio next to the pool waiting for me to bring HIM in to introduce you to HIM," Bob said. He wanted her to get used to the fact that these robots would have gender and should be treated as close to humans as possible. "Are you ready for me to bring him in?"

"Does it look like a human male, is that why you are insisting on calling it HIM?"

"Yes, we were able to make him a male robot. He is anatomically normal for a male in his mid-twenties. If the project is a success, we have plans to make females and even robots that look different ages."

"Why a male in his twenties for the first one?"

Bob smiled, "Well, when you meet him, maybe that will answer your question."

Maria remained standing as Bob went out through the French doors and onto the patio. He signaled to Freddie that he was ready to introduce him to his wife and waited as Freddie brought all of his systems back to normal function. They then turned and entered the Hawkings home. Bob took Freddie by the arm and led him over to Maria. Her eyes got wide as Bob said, "Maria, I would like you to meet HFR 1, or as we call him down at the Institute, Freddie. Freddie this is my wife, Dr. Maria Hawkings."

"Hola, Senora Hawkings, it is nice to make your acquaintance," Freddie said in a thick Hispanic accent, imitating the actor he was patterned after. He put his right hand out to shake Marias, but at that moment Maria let out a little scream and ran from the room.